Hear plenty of performance gurus, and you'll be easy to think that dozing is a powerful tool: rather than a quick fix after a bad night’s sleep, but a route to improved recall, a brighter outlook and perhaps quicker running times. Elite footballers do it regularly – as do concert pianists, mixed martial artists and media moguls. Yet, when you lack a room for napping or a job that allows daytime sleep, is it *truly* enough benefits to a quick nap to justify the kerfuffle? Can you find a dependable method to nod off promptly? Plus, is it possible to really guarantee you will get up feeling improved, not worse?
Identifying Your Drive to Snooze
“We can identify three key drivers for daytime sleep in the adult population,” explains a professor of sleep science specialist. “Firstly, there's termed recovery napping, which is the action you take following a lack of sleep the night before. Secondly, there's prophylactic napping, when you are anticipating insufficient sleep ahead, for example when working on night shifts. The third reason is “appetitive drive”, which basically comes down to the wish: you have a moment to sleep in the daytime, and it feels nice to nap.”
The initial step to do, then, is to think about your nap motivation. “Daytime sleep can be truly beneficial when overnight rest gets interrupted because of factors outside your control – for instance, if you’re a new parent, or if you are healing from sickness or heavy physical exertion,” explains a sleep specialist. “But if you take a nap since your night sleep seems unreliable or unreliable, that can be a signal your body's sleep pressure is not at the level it needs to be. In such situations, naps can become a contributing factor, rather than the answer. Employ naps as a short-term solution for short-term problems – the main goal must always be a solid and consistent sleep at night.”
The Optimal Snooze Time
This implies that naps must not be too extended to affect your overnight rest, and preferably should not occur post-3 p.m. (depending on the time you retire at night). What duration is wise? Recommendations vary. In one of a prominent study regarding daytime sleep, space agency scientists discovered that astronauts had improvements of over 50% in alertness and a 34% boost in performance following a nap of 26 minutes (to be precise, this involved an initial six-minute sleep onset time). “I recommend setting a timer for 20 to 30 minutes – most people doze off quickly,” says a sleep expert. “There is plenty of advice around regarding the optimal amount for sleeping, but that tends to make people feel more anxious than anything else – and the least helpful action you can do when trying to nod off is to be anxious.”
If you’re going to nap for a longer period, avoid the 45 to 60 minute range that encourages sleep grogginess, that disoriented sensation when you awaken. “Studies suggests it is preferable to take an extended nap of 60 to 90 minutes rather than a mid-length nap,” notes the sleep scientist. “45 minutes is long enough to plunge you into deep sleep making it more likely to feel sluggish when you wake up – however, if you take it slightly longer to a full sleep cycle, it's likely you'll to be on the end a natural sleep cycle and should wake up feeling more refreshed. However, if you nap for a long period, it may impact the quality of your sleep in the evening.”
Establishing an Ideal Nap Environment
Regarding specific techniques, suggestions are diverse. A few professionals propose adopting similar routines you use to promote quality nighttime sleep: a quiet room, a cozy bed and minimal light as is feasible. Others suggest that you should merely snooze in a chair in the existing light happens to be around – to prevent post-nap grogginess and to maintain your bedroom as the environment your brain links with nighttime rest. “Sleep is notoriously difficult to command,” explains a specialist. “Lacking any sleepiness, it is tougher to get comfortable and essentially instruct yourself to fall asleep. You need some drive present to initiate sleep initially. I can usually nap in broad daylight and awaken on my own without a timer, however, what assists most folks is to anticipate a time where they feel naturally feeling a bit drowsy and calmly ease into sleep.”
It’s worth experimenting, and if you have few options – such as, if attempting to squeeze in 40 winks on a train or at the office – it's acceptable with bringing sleep aids. “When I’m working with elite athletes, I suggest that they not rely on sleeping in their bed, since they’re going to have|they will
